The present invention relates generally to the field of network protocols for a wireless network. Specifically, the present inventions related to a system and method for dynamically defining a TDMA management cycle of a network protocol for a wireless network.
A wireless network partition is a group of nodes within a wireless network configured to communicate with other nodes within the partition using a wireless communication protocol. The wireless communication protocol is configured to facilitate communication and prevent interference between nodes that are simultaneously trying to communicate. One exemplary protocol is Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), a wireless communication protocol configured to allow a number of users (nodes) to access a single radio frequency (RF) channel without interference by allocating unique time slots to each user or node within each partition.
Allocation of the unique time slots to particular nodes may be implemented using an established allocation protocol such as the unifying slot assignment protocol (USAP) protocol which monitors the wireless environment, allocates channel resources on demand from higher-level heuristics, and automatically detects and results contingent resulting from changes in connectivity. The USAP protocol may be implemented using TDMA management messages, containing the USAP information for negotiating traffic slots and resolving conflicts. USAP protocol messages may be transmitted by each node in the partition in specific sections of the TDMA time slots, referred to hereafter as TDMA management slots. TDMA management slots may also be referred to as bootstrap slots.
Each node within the wireless network partition is provided with an opportunity to transmit TDMA management messages during their particular TDMA management slot. A complete cycle, wherein each node in the partition is provided with an opportunity to transmit, is referred to as a TDMA management cycle.
The number of nodes in the wireless network partition may be either fixed, or dynamic. A fixed network partition has a specified number of nodes that are always present and are allocated specific resources. A dynamic network partition does not contain a fixed number of nodes and nodes may join and/or drop out of the partition as needed. A TDMA management cycle for a dynamic network partition must be configured to efficiently manage a TDMA management cycle that is also dynamic to handle the dynamic set of nodes.
Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for efficiently implementing a dynamic TDMA management slot cycle for a wireless network partition. What is further needed is such a system and method configured to facilitate partition entry, partition merging, and partition exit.